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Intercultural issues in Outsourcing

An article written by our consultant Huib Wursten

Outsourcing is a very important strategic issue for most of the world's leading companies at this moment in time. But outsourcing is much more complex than just taking advantage of low wages in some emerging countries. A warning is certainly in order: companies should not rush blindly into outsourcing, but need to plan it carefully.

Managers are concerned with the coordination of resources (material, financial, and human) for the effective and efficient achievement of business objectives. However, what may be an effective and efficient way of coordination in one country may prove to be ineffective, inefficient, or even counter-productive in another.

By taking into account the way different cultures define and handle issues like leadership, delegation, and control, management can foresee and avoid problems arising from cultural differences which can easily reduce productivity to an uneconomical level or even doom an outsourcing effort to failure. This article explores the principal areas of cultural impact on outsourcing and describes measures which can help to prevent these issues from jeopardizing the undertaking.

Please click here to download this article.

Culture Clues

Our Swedish consultant, Fredrik Wicklund, reviewed and recommends: What's This India Business? Offshoring, Outsourcing and the Global Services Revolution - by Paul Davies

A well-written and easy to understand book that can be viewed as a practical guide to a dynamic country of a billion people with a vibrant business environment, and should be of value to anyone who is new to the topic of outsourcing or interested in doing business with India.

To read the full book review.

Masterclass on Cross-Cultural Aspects of Legal Negotiation

Itim proudly announces the first Masterclass with a special focus on Legal Negotiations. During this two-day course, highly experienced negotiation and cross-cultural experts join forces to increase your effectiveness when working across cultures. Our top consultants will explain how culture affects your behaviour, reactions, assumptions and expectations. They teach you how to recognise and understand intercultural experiences and you will learn how to deal with the consequences of cultural differences in negotiation settings.

The Masterclass takes place on 29 - 30 November 2007 in Milan, Italy. Are you interested in participating? Please download more information here.

The Effectiveness of Diversity Training

A new article written by our Dutch consultant and founder of itim Bob Waisfisz

In this article Bob Waisfisz sheds a light on the influence of organisational culture on the effectiveness of diversity training. It examines whether the effectiveness of diversity programs can be increased, and if so in which way. It is argued that diversity training can only be really successful if it is embedded in an organisational culture which supports people to accept diversity.

Please click here to download this interesting article.

More news
Itim announces the first Open Course with a special focus on Project Management

Our German consultant, Christi Degen, reviewed and recommends: Runaway world - how globalization is reshaping our lives by Athony Giddens

Itim has expanded rapidly during the last year. Here we would like to introduce our new colleagues to you

Our Dutch consultant Wanne Wiersinga recommends: Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed written by Jared Diamond

At the biannual conference of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology in Greece on 15 July 2006, professor Hofstede has been made a Honorary Fellow

The first chair in cultural diversity named after Professor Geert Hofstede has been inaugurated in Maastricht on June 1, 2006

Our Dutch managing partner Huib Wursten sheds a light on the cultural implications of soccer

Our Norwegian consultant Bjørn Christian Nørbech launched Norway's first reality book "Grandiosaland"



<< back	Intercultural issues in Outsourcing An article written by our consultant Huib Wursten Outsourcing is a very important strategic issue for most of the world's leading companies at this moment in time. But outsourcing is much more complex than just taking advantage of low wages in some emerging countries. A warning is certainly in order: companies should not rush blindly into outsourcing, but need to plan it carefully. Managers are concerned with the coordination of resources (material, financial, and human) for the effective and efficient achievement of business objectives. However, what may be an effective and efficient way of coordination in one country may prove to be ineffective, inefficient, or even counter-productive in another. By taking into account the way different cultures define and handle issues like leadership, delegation, and control, management can foresee and avoid problems arising from cultural differences which can easily reduce productivity to an uneconomical level or even doom an outsourcing effort to failure. This article explores the principal areas of cultural impact on outsourcing and describes measures which can help to prevent these issues from jeopardizing the undertaking. Please click here to download this article. Culture Clues Our Swedish consultant, Fredrik Wicklund, reviewed and recommends: What's This India Business? Offshoring, Outsourcing and the Global Services Revolution - by Paul Davies A well-written and easy to understand book that can be viewed as a practical guide to a dynamic country of a billion people with a vibrant business environment, and should be of value to anyone who is new to the topic of outsourcing or interested in doing business with India. To read the full book review. Masterclass on Cross-Cultural Aspects of Legal Negotiation Itim proudly announces the first Masterclass with a special focus on Legal Negotiations. During this two-day course, highly experienced negotiation and cross-cultural experts join forces to increase your effectiveness when working across cultures. Our top consultants will explain how culture affects your behaviour, reactions, assumptions and expectations. They teach you how to recognise and understand intercultural experiences and you will learn how to deal with the consequences of cultural differences in negotiation settings. The Masterclass takes place on 29 - 30 November 2007 in Milan, Italy. Are you interested in participating? Please download more information here. The Effectiveness of Diversity Training A new article written by our Dutch consultant and founder of itim Bob Waisfisz In this article Bob Waisfisz sheds a light on the influence of organisational culture on the effectiveness of diversity training. It examines whether the effectiveness of diversity programs can be increased, and if so in which way. It is argued that diversity training can only be really successful if it is embedded in an organisational culture which supports people to accept diversity. Please click here to download this interesting article. More news Itim announces the first Open Course with a special focus on Project Management Our German consultant, Christi Degen, reviewed and recommends: Runaway world - how globalization is reshaping our lives by Athony Giddens Itim has expanded rapidly during the last year. Here we would like to introduce our new colleagues to you Our Dutch consultant Wanne Wiersinga recommends: Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed written by Jared Diamond At the biannual conference of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology in Greece on 15 July 2006, professor Hofstede has been made a Honorary Fellow The first chair in cultural diversity named after Professor Geert Hofstede has been inaugurated in Maastricht on June 1, 2006 Our Dutch managing partner Huib Wursten sheds a light on the cultural implications of soccer Our Norwegian consultant Bjørn Christian Nørbech launched Norway's first reality book "Grandiosaland"